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If at First: A Season With the Mets
The Golden Glove first baseman takes baseball fans onto the field and into the clubhouse to capture all the drama and excitement of the New York Mets' 1985 season
329 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 1986
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 2, 2019
I enjoyed it as this told the story of the 1985 season ...
March 9, 2023
Keith Hernandez had a stellar 17-year career in the major leagues. Hernandez won the 1979 batting title, and he was co-MVP of the National League that year with Willie Stargell. Hernandez was renowned for his fielding prowess, as he won 11 Gold Gloves at first base, the most anyone has ever won at that position. He also played for 2 World Series winning teams, the 1982 St. Louis Cardinals and the 1986 New York Mets. Since his retirement as a player in 1990, Hernandez has remained in the public eye, famously guest-starring on an episode of Seinfeld in 1992 and working as a Mets broadcaster since 1998. Hernandez is also legendary for having one of the greatest mustaches this side of Tom Selleck.
Hernandez has written several books about baseball. His first book was If at First, which chronicled the New York Mets’ 1985 season. Published in 1986, If at First was Hernandez’s diary of the 162-game season. It’s an excellent book, as Hernandez is a sharp observer of baseball. Hernandez is also intelligent and extremely self-reflective, two key attributes for a good writer. The paperback edition published in 1987 also includes a 70-page chapter covering the 1986 season. 1986 was an incredible season for the Mets, as they won 108 games, and defeated the Astros in a thrilling NLCS, triumphing in a 16-inning Game 6. The Mets then went on to beat the Boston Red Sox in a legendary 7-game World Series.
Keith Hernandez had a difficult year in 1985. He was going through a divorce, and he became embroiled in the Pittsburgh drug trials, which focused on illegal drugs in baseball, and revealed that a number of star baseball players had been cocaine users. Hernandez had used cocaine recreationally from 1980 to 1982, but he makes it very clear in If at First that his drug use was in the past. Ultimately, Hernandez and several other players were suspended by the commissioner for the 1986 season, but the suspensions were commuted as long as the players paid a fine and performed community service.
During the 1985 season, the Mets were battling Hernandez’s old team, the St. Louis Cardinals, for the NL East division title. Hernandez was drafted by the Cardinals out of high school in 1971, and by 1976 he was the Cardinals’ everyday first baseman. In 1980 Whitey Herzog became the Cardinals manager, and also general manager. Herzog was never a big fan of Hernandez. Part of the reason was Hernandez’s fondness for crossword puzzles. Really. Hernandez writes: “I worked the puzzle in the clubhouse before games, while he {Herzog} thought I should be palling around with teammates, providing leadership.” (p.11) I guess Hernandez’s batting title, MVP, and string of Gold Gloves didn’t mean much to Herzog. After Herzog took over the Cardinals, he tried to trade Hernandez every off-season. In June of 1983, Herzog desperately wanted to obtain the Mets’ relief pitcher Neil Allen. When Herzog offered Hernandez in exchange for Allen, Mets general manager Frank Cashen could hardly say yes fast enough. The trade was a huge steal for the Mets, as Keith became the team leader on the field and in the clubhouse, and Allen only lasted a little more than two years with the Cardinals before he was sold to the Yankees.
Keith Hernandez’s identity is so tied to the Mets now that it’s hard to believe that at the time he was traded, he didn’t want to play for the Mets. He briefly considered retiring, before accepting the trade. Being traded to the Mets in June of 1983 was a bit like being exiled to Siberia. At that time, the Mets had not enjoyed a winning season since 1976, and they hadn’t even come close to one, as they had lost 95 or more games every season from 1977-1982, with the exception of the strike-shortened 1981 season. The 1983 team just barely ended that stretch of 95 loss seasons, as they only lost 94 games. However, the team had a talented young core, including 1983 Rookie of the Year Darryl Strawberry. In 1984, the Mets were pennant contenders, as the team won 90 games, and featured Rookie of the Year pitching phenom Dwight Gooden. Expectations for the Mets were high going into 1985.
I read If at First when I was a kid, in the late 80’s or early 90’s. I’m sure some of it went over my head, and I’m not sure if I made it through all 450 pages of the thick paperback. In my head, 1985 doesn’t seem that far away, but then I did the math and realized it’s 38 years ago. 38 years before 1985 was 1947. Did a few things change in baseball between 1947 and 1985? Yes, just a few. 1947 was the first year that baseball was integrated by Jackie Robinson and Larry Doby. Baseball has changed a lot between 1985 and 2023 too.
Baseball statistics have changed a lot since 1985, and Hernandez is decidedly old school in his focus on batting average and RBI’s. Part of that was his role batting in the third spot in the Mets’ lineup: his job was to drive in runs. If there were runners on base, Hernandez was going to do his best to get them home, whether that was by driving a pitch the other way into left field or hitting a sacrifice fly so the runner on third scored. Hernandez’s skills as a batter were a mixture of old school and new school: he had the old school “go with the pitch, hit it to the opposite field” kind of mentality, he was not an all or nothing slugger, but Hernandez was also a patient hitter who walked a lot, a skill that was often overlooked during his career. Hernandez finished in the top ten for walks 7 seasons during his career, and in 1980 and 1982 he reached base more times than anyone else in the NL.
After a solid April in which he hit .309, Hernandez slumped in May and June. On July 1st, Keith’s batting average was just .251. He said to the press, “I’m in a dark forest. I’m killing this team.” In the book Hernandez added, “Where no sunlight penetrates, without map or compass; a batter without a clue.” (p.209) I love this beautiful poetic language, and it inspired me to write my own Keith Hernandez haikus:
In a dark forest
A batter without a clue
I’m killing this team
Full of doubt at bat
I need to remember that
I’m Keith Hernandez
When Keith had a problem with his swing, he went to his father for advice. John Hernandez was a first baseman who played in the minor leagues for 6 seasons during the 1940’s. John instilled a love of baseball into his two children: Keith and his older brother Gary. Like Keith, Gary was a left-handed first baseman who was drafted by the Cardinals. Gary played in the minor leagues for 4 seasons. Keith had a sometimes difficult relationship with his father, but he knew he could always rely on his father because his father knew Keith’s swing better than anyone else. In the photo section of If at First, there’s a great picture of Keith and his parents on the field at Shea Stadium. Keith and his mother Jacquelyn are smiling and looking straight at the camera. John Hernandez is looking at Keith and smiling, no doubt full of pride at his son, .300 hitter and Gold Glove-winning first baseman for the Mets.
After a disappointing June, Hernandez was able to get back on track, and he had a torrid July, hitting .392 with a .475 OBP. Hernandez was named NL Player of the Month for July 1985. In September, Hernandez had to travel to Pittsburgh to testify in the Pittsburgh drug trials, resulting in a lot of negative national publicity for him. Amazingly, Hernandez was able to remain laser focused at the plate, and for September and October he hit .395 with a .457 OBP. It wasn’t quite enough for the Mets, as they finished the season 3 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals. In those days before the wild card, the Mets were done for the season, even though they won 98 games.
If at First chronicles the many ways that baseball has changed since 1985. Hernandez sometimes smoked cigarettes in the dugout, but it was more of a nervous habit than anything else. Keith reveals to us that he never smoked a full cigarette, he just took a few drags of it. He didn’t smoke off the field or during the off-season. When Hernandez’s left ankle is in pain after seven games on artificial turf, his solution is: “Tape it up, gulp three aspirin, and keep on truckin’.” (p.181) In these days of “there is no off-season,” and every player on the roster looking like they could use their abs as a cheese grater, it’s refreshing to read Keith’s admission that he doesn’t work out during the off-season: “In my pro career I’ve exercised in the off-season for strengthening (as opposed to remedial) purposes only once, prior to the 1977 season. It helped: I hit fifteen homers, but I haven’t exercised since. I’m just lazy.” (p.249) Keith had other things to do in the off-season, like read books about the Civil War. When Keith grounds into a double play with the bases loaded to end a game, he faces the reporters: “Sitting on my stool, fresh beer in one hand, cigarette in the other, waiting.” (p.312) That’s so 80’s.
Because Hernandez lived in New York City while he played for the Mets, there are some fun celebrity encounters in If at First. My favorite is when Hernandez and Rusty Staub go out for dinner with actors Paul Gleason (the vice-principal in The Breakfast Club) and Len Cariou, known for starring in the original Broadway casts of A Little Night Music and Sweeney Todd. Len Cariou is also known in pop culture for his frequent appearances in crossword puzzles, something that I’m sure Hernandez was aware of. If only they had run into Omar Sharif. The next day, Keith is mentioned in a New York Times interview with novelist and Mets fan Philip Roth. Now I want to read a Philip Roth novel about a Jewish first baseman for the Mets whose intelligence and compulsion to over-analyze his problems wreaks havoc with his batting swing. Along the way, the first baseman meets a sexy French flight attendant who may hold the key to him being able to unlock his swing. Coming soon to a bookstore near you!
If at First is a great look at the grind that is a 162-game baseball season, written by an intelligent and astute player. If you’re interested in 1980’s baseball, or if you just really like Keith Hernandez, you should check it out.
Hernandez has written several books about baseball. His first book was If at First, which chronicled the New York Mets’ 1985 season. Published in 1986, If at First was Hernandez’s diary of the 162-game season. It’s an excellent book, as Hernandez is a sharp observer of baseball. Hernandez is also intelligent and extremely self-reflective, two key attributes for a good writer. The paperback edition published in 1987 also includes a 70-page chapter covering the 1986 season. 1986 was an incredible season for the Mets, as they won 108 games, and defeated the Astros in a thrilling NLCS, triumphing in a 16-inning Game 6. The Mets then went on to beat the Boston Red Sox in a legendary 7-game World Series.
Keith Hernandez had a difficult year in 1985. He was going through a divorce, and he became embroiled in the Pittsburgh drug trials, which focused on illegal drugs in baseball, and revealed that a number of star baseball players had been cocaine users. Hernandez had used cocaine recreationally from 1980 to 1982, but he makes it very clear in If at First that his drug use was in the past. Ultimately, Hernandez and several other players were suspended by the commissioner for the 1986 season, but the suspensions were commuted as long as the players paid a fine and performed community service.
During the 1985 season, the Mets were battling Hernandez’s old team, the St. Louis Cardinals, for the NL East division title. Hernandez was drafted by the Cardinals out of high school in 1971, and by 1976 he was the Cardinals’ everyday first baseman. In 1980 Whitey Herzog became the Cardinals manager, and also general manager. Herzog was never a big fan of Hernandez. Part of the reason was Hernandez’s fondness for crossword puzzles. Really. Hernandez writes: “I worked the puzzle in the clubhouse before games, while he {Herzog} thought I should be palling around with teammates, providing leadership.” (p.11) I guess Hernandez’s batting title, MVP, and string of Gold Gloves didn’t mean much to Herzog. After Herzog took over the Cardinals, he tried to trade Hernandez every off-season. In June of 1983, Herzog desperately wanted to obtain the Mets’ relief pitcher Neil Allen. When Herzog offered Hernandez in exchange for Allen, Mets general manager Frank Cashen could hardly say yes fast enough. The trade was a huge steal for the Mets, as Keith became the team leader on the field and in the clubhouse, and Allen only lasted a little more than two years with the Cardinals before he was sold to the Yankees.
Keith Hernandez’s identity is so tied to the Mets now that it’s hard to believe that at the time he was traded, he didn’t want to play for the Mets. He briefly considered retiring, before accepting the trade. Being traded to the Mets in June of 1983 was a bit like being exiled to Siberia. At that time, the Mets had not enjoyed a winning season since 1976, and they hadn’t even come close to one, as they had lost 95 or more games every season from 1977-1982, with the exception of the strike-shortened 1981 season. The 1983 team just barely ended that stretch of 95 loss seasons, as they only lost 94 games. However, the team had a talented young core, including 1983 Rookie of the Year Darryl Strawberry. In 1984, the Mets were pennant contenders, as the team won 90 games, and featured Rookie of the Year pitching phenom Dwight Gooden. Expectations for the Mets were high going into 1985.
I read If at First when I was a kid, in the late 80’s or early 90’s. I’m sure some of it went over my head, and I’m not sure if I made it through all 450 pages of the thick paperback. In my head, 1985 doesn’t seem that far away, but then I did the math and realized it’s 38 years ago. 38 years before 1985 was 1947. Did a few things change in baseball between 1947 and 1985? Yes, just a few. 1947 was the first year that baseball was integrated by Jackie Robinson and Larry Doby. Baseball has changed a lot between 1985 and 2023 too.
Baseball statistics have changed a lot since 1985, and Hernandez is decidedly old school in his focus on batting average and RBI’s. Part of that was his role batting in the third spot in the Mets’ lineup: his job was to drive in runs. If there were runners on base, Hernandez was going to do his best to get them home, whether that was by driving a pitch the other way into left field or hitting a sacrifice fly so the runner on third scored. Hernandez’s skills as a batter were a mixture of old school and new school: he had the old school “go with the pitch, hit it to the opposite field” kind of mentality, he was not an all or nothing slugger, but Hernandez was also a patient hitter who walked a lot, a skill that was often overlooked during his career. Hernandez finished in the top ten for walks 7 seasons during his career, and in 1980 and 1982 he reached base more times than anyone else in the NL.
After a solid April in which he hit .309, Hernandez slumped in May and June. On July 1st, Keith’s batting average was just .251. He said to the press, “I’m in a dark forest. I’m killing this team.” In the book Hernandez added, “Where no sunlight penetrates, without map or compass; a batter without a clue.” (p.209) I love this beautiful poetic language, and it inspired me to write my own Keith Hernandez haikus:
In a dark forest
A batter without a clue
I’m killing this team
Full of doubt at bat
I need to remember that
I’m Keith Hernandez
When Keith had a problem with his swing, he went to his father for advice. John Hernandez was a first baseman who played in the minor leagues for 6 seasons during the 1940’s. John instilled a love of baseball into his two children: Keith and his older brother Gary. Like Keith, Gary was a left-handed first baseman who was drafted by the Cardinals. Gary played in the minor leagues for 4 seasons. Keith had a sometimes difficult relationship with his father, but he knew he could always rely on his father because his father knew Keith’s swing better than anyone else. In the photo section of If at First, there’s a great picture of Keith and his parents on the field at Shea Stadium. Keith and his mother Jacquelyn are smiling and looking straight at the camera. John Hernandez is looking at Keith and smiling, no doubt full of pride at his son, .300 hitter and Gold Glove-winning first baseman for the Mets.
After a disappointing June, Hernandez was able to get back on track, and he had a torrid July, hitting .392 with a .475 OBP. Hernandez was named NL Player of the Month for July 1985. In September, Hernandez had to travel to Pittsburgh to testify in the Pittsburgh drug trials, resulting in a lot of negative national publicity for him. Amazingly, Hernandez was able to remain laser focused at the plate, and for September and October he hit .395 with a .457 OBP. It wasn’t quite enough for the Mets, as they finished the season 3 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals. In those days before the wild card, the Mets were done for the season, even though they won 98 games.
If at First chronicles the many ways that baseball has changed since 1985. Hernandez sometimes smoked cigarettes in the dugout, but it was more of a nervous habit than anything else. Keith reveals to us that he never smoked a full cigarette, he just took a few drags of it. He didn’t smoke off the field or during the off-season. When Hernandez’s left ankle is in pain after seven games on artificial turf, his solution is: “Tape it up, gulp three aspirin, and keep on truckin’.” (p.181) In these days of “there is no off-season,” and every player on the roster looking like they could use their abs as a cheese grater, it’s refreshing to read Keith’s admission that he doesn’t work out during the off-season: “In my pro career I’ve exercised in the off-season for strengthening (as opposed to remedial) purposes only once, prior to the 1977 season. It helped: I hit fifteen homers, but I haven’t exercised since. I’m just lazy.” (p.249) Keith had other things to do in the off-season, like read books about the Civil War. When Keith grounds into a double play with the bases loaded to end a game, he faces the reporters: “Sitting on my stool, fresh beer in one hand, cigarette in the other, waiting.” (p.312) That’s so 80’s.
Because Hernandez lived in New York City while he played for the Mets, there are some fun celebrity encounters in If at First. My favorite is when Hernandez and Rusty Staub go out for dinner with actors Paul Gleason (the vice-principal in The Breakfast Club) and Len Cariou, known for starring in the original Broadway casts of A Little Night Music and Sweeney Todd. Len Cariou is also known in pop culture for his frequent appearances in crossword puzzles, something that I’m sure Hernandez was aware of. If only they had run into Omar Sharif. The next day, Keith is mentioned in a New York Times interview with novelist and Mets fan Philip Roth. Now I want to read a Philip Roth novel about a Jewish first baseman for the Mets whose intelligence and compulsion to over-analyze his problems wreaks havoc with his batting swing. Along the way, the first baseman meets a sexy French flight attendant who may hold the key to him being able to unlock his swing. Coming soon to a bookstore near you!
If at First is a great look at the grind that is a 162-game baseball season, written by an intelligent and astute player. If you’re interested in 1980’s baseball, or if you just really like Keith Hernandez, you should check it out.
July 18, 2013
A fun read. We get to see the Mets on the verge of greatness (which, with my lifelong loathing for the Mets, made this somewhat irksome); with veterans like Staub, Lynch, and Foster on the team, the inmates hadn't quite taken over the asylum yet. Keith gives us a look into the travails that beset him on the season, as he battled his way through divorce court, testifying in the Pittsburgh drug trials, and a couple of prolonged slumps.
April 13, 2007
criminally, there isn't an option for 6 stars.
August 9, 2022
The first book is If At First written by Keith Hernandez and Mike Bryan. Hernandez kept a game-by-game diary of the 1985 season. While some may not remember that season in the shadow of the incredible season a year later, 1985 was terrific in its own right. Had there been a “wild card” back then, the Mets would have surely been it, having been eliminated on the second-to-last game of the season. It was also a tough year for other reasons. Hernandez was going through a bitter divorce as well as having to testify about his own drug use (cocaine) during a trial in Pittsburgh. In addition, there was a 2-day player’s strike which is generally not something people remember in the wake of the 1981 and 1994 strikes.
Hernandez has always been controversial to one degree or another. He has been accused several times of being misogynistic due to his comments about women. Considering he has three daughters, I don’t think that’s really possible but his insight into the dealings behind a bitter baseball divorce and the animosity that’s created may explain some of it. He has views that many players have had through the years, and barriers have been broken. The first step was women reporters in the clubhouse (he comments on this) and more recently has been women trainers in the dugout (he caused a furor last season with his remarks on this). He also weighs in on the effects of wives, fiancees, and girlfriends traveling with the team. If nothing else, he is brutally honest even if you disagree with him on some of his views.
To read my full review, please go to: https://thoughtsfromthemountaintop.co...
Hernandez has always been controversial to one degree or another. He has been accused several times of being misogynistic due to his comments about women. Considering he has three daughters, I don’t think that’s really possible but his insight into the dealings behind a bitter baseball divorce and the animosity that’s created may explain some of it. He has views that many players have had through the years, and barriers have been broken. The first step was women reporters in the clubhouse (he comments on this) and more recently has been women trainers in the dugout (he caused a furor last season with his remarks on this). He also weighs in on the effects of wives, fiancees, and girlfriends traveling with the team. If nothing else, he is brutally honest even if you disagree with him on some of his views.
To read my full review, please go to: https://thoughtsfromthemountaintop.co...
February 25, 2018
The promo on the back inside flap of Hernandez' book says it has the "perception of Jim Brosnan's 'The Long Season' and the candor of Jim Bouton's 'Ball Four.'" Not at all.
There are good game recaps for all 162 games the NY Mets played in 1985, but candor? No. Unless you count him writing about his pending divorce briefly, his court testimony about cocaine use a few years earlier ("It was just recreational," Hernandez explained. Hernandez does note his intensity about the games and his role as the team leader. There are some nice moments for baseball fans: The first full year for Dwight "Doc" Gooden, the budding Lenny Dykstra, Ron Darling's good season on the Mets' mound, Darryl Strawberry's early brooding, other players' names galore. He pulls no punches when criticizing his former St. Louis Cardinals' coach Whitey Herzog.
But for the most part, this is just a rambling diary of each game and how he should have done this or that to lead the team to more victories. A good primer for baseball strategy fans and fun for diehard Mets' fans. But as a vehicle for entertainment ala Bouton's book? In the parlance of NY denizens, "Fuggataboutit."
There are good game recaps for all 162 games the NY Mets played in 1985, but candor? No. Unless you count him writing about his pending divorce briefly, his court testimony about cocaine use a few years earlier ("It was just recreational," Hernandez explained. Hernandez does note his intensity about the games and his role as the team leader. There are some nice moments for baseball fans: The first full year for Dwight "Doc" Gooden, the budding Lenny Dykstra, Ron Darling's good season on the Mets' mound, Darryl Strawberry's early brooding, other players' names galore. He pulls no punches when criticizing his former St. Louis Cardinals' coach Whitey Herzog.
But for the most part, this is just a rambling diary of each game and how he should have done this or that to lead the team to more victories. A good primer for baseball strategy fans and fun for diehard Mets' fans. But as a vehicle for entertainment ala Bouton's book? In the parlance of NY denizens, "Fuggataboutit."
September 12, 2021
One of the things I liked were the bits and pieces about some of the other players on the 1985 Mets.
Sid "the Squid" Fernandez, Mookie Wilson, "Hojo", Ed Lynch, "RJ", George Foster, Darryl Strawberry, Ray Knight, Gary Carter, "Doc" Gooden and Roger McDowell among others.
He wasn't afraid of mentioning the impact of his father on his career as well as admitting to some of the other things he was involved in at that time in baseball, the drug scandal and marital problems that plagued him.
Good book for a Mets fan.
Sid "the Squid" Fernandez, Mookie Wilson, "Hojo", Ed Lynch, "RJ", George Foster, Darryl Strawberry, Ray Knight, Gary Carter, "Doc" Gooden and Roger McDowell among others.
He wasn't afraid of mentioning the impact of his father on his career as well as admitting to some of the other things he was involved in at that time in baseball, the drug scandal and marital problems that plagued him.
Good book for a Mets fan.
October 9, 2021
I read this decades ago and felt the urge to read it again. It's a standard book written by a ballplayer during the season, in this case 1985, about the multiple personalities with some other aspects of his live thrown in to liven the narrative. These topics included his involvement with the labor negotiations, his family, divorce and involvement with a high profile drug investigation.
The best part of the book was him mentioning so many players that I had completely forgotten about. It was something of a trip down memory lane.
The best part of the book was him mentioning so many players that I had completely forgotten about. It was something of a trip down memory lane.
August 23, 2020
Hernandez gives up the goods on a season with the Mets. They were druggies, boozers, and had ever vice known to man. They were bums, but pulled it off anyway. Told by the Gold Glove winning first baseman.
July 22, 2018
OK, so this isn’t great literature, but as a huge baseball fan from the Hernandez era, I loved this book.
August 12, 2013
Nice book, pretty boy. JK. Anyways, I felt as if I had possibly read this book as a kid from the T.O. Library, but I wasn't sure. When I saw it for a buck at the book fair, it was a no-brainer to get.
A good diary from former New York Mets first baseman Keith Hernandez on the 1985 season, in which the Mets and the Cardinals go down to the wire to try and get first place in the NL East. Hernandez includes every single game in here, from their blowouts to the close ones to the ones in which they get blown out. I'm surprised Hernandez isn't a manager since he seems like he would be a good one from reading this book. He agrees and disagrees with then-manager Davey Johnson, but when he disagrees he does a good job of explaining why. Some things that you will also come away with from this book- 1)Hernandez and Whitey Herzog didn't get along. Why? 2)Hernandez sometimes got boed at Shea Stadium. Why? 3)Hernandez had drug problems earlier in his career. 4)Hernandez was one of the best at Game Winning RBI's, but doesn't like the stat. Why?
A good book and must-read if you are a NY Mets fan. If you are a baseball fan that likes reading baseball books, this is a pretty decent read too, although not as good as "The Bad Guys Won" by Jeff Pearlman. I always had respect for Keith Hernandez even though I wasn't a Mets fan, after reading this I have more respect. A good book from a good ballplayer.
A good diary from former New York Mets first baseman Keith Hernandez on the 1985 season, in which the Mets and the Cardinals go down to the wire to try and get first place in the NL East. Hernandez includes every single game in here, from their blowouts to the close ones to the ones in which they get blown out. I'm surprised Hernandez isn't a manager since he seems like he would be a good one from reading this book. He agrees and disagrees with then-manager Davey Johnson, but when he disagrees he does a good job of explaining why. Some things that you will also come away with from this book- 1)Hernandez and Whitey Herzog didn't get along. Why? 2)Hernandez sometimes got boed at Shea Stadium. Why? 3)Hernandez had drug problems earlier in his career. 4)Hernandez was one of the best at Game Winning RBI's, but doesn't like the stat. Why?
A good book and must-read if you are a NY Mets fan. If you are a baseball fan that likes reading baseball books, this is a pretty decent read too, although not as good as "The Bad Guys Won" by Jeff Pearlman. I always had respect for Keith Hernandez even though I wasn't a Mets fan, after reading this I have more respect. A good book from a good ballplayer.
September 15, 2013
Sadly this autobiography of Keith Hernandez and the 1985 New York Mets can only be found in an old book sale or maybe a library somewhere. Too bad. Even though Keith has a ghostwriter to help, his insights about the game of baseball are extremely articulate and interesting. One finds it hard to imagine the monosyllabic modern athlete coming up with anything as intelligent and self-aware as this book. With baseball "journalism" especially locked into a nerdy obsession with "advanced statistical analysis" it was refreshing to read a book about the real game of baseball, on the field.
Keith did one better in his followup Pure Baseball in which he describes two 1993 baseball games pitch by pitch. It is also hard to find, but it is also one of the better books on this subject ever.
Keith did one better in his followup Pure Baseball in which he describes two 1993 baseball games pitch by pitch. It is also hard to find, but it is also one of the better books on this subject ever.
August 13, 2016
Read this one a while back and it is a game by game recap of the 1985 Mets season. Even though I did not care much for the Mets at that time, I find myself kind of pulling for them even though history had already been written. Some of the games, great detail is present but for other games it is a really quick summary. I did not really think anything was over the top or that I was getting secret access to dugout secrets but was fine with that. It also reminded me of how dominant Dwight Gooden was at that time and what may have been had he not used drugs. Overall, a good read for a baseball fan.
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January 30, 2009This is a great book for the die-hard Mets fan actually for the die-hard baseball fan. For the Mets fan, a lot of inside dirt on the 1986 championship Mets team. For the baseball fan, there is a lot of fine detail of the kind of little things that go unnoticed by the casual fan, that win and lose baseball games
March 14, 2008
Interesting day by day review of the 1985 Mets season by its intense leader.
June 23, 2010
Strictly for Mets fans.
May 1, 2011
I read this book years ago and I want to reread it before giving an opinion. But something drew me back! Enjoy.
December 27, 2011
A great inside look into the 1985 season written by one of my favorite baseball players.
October 28, 2013
Very good book about a baseball team called the New York Mets. The story takes place in the 1985-86 seasons, told by former baseball star Keith Hernandez, who played on the Mets in these years.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews